Leukos
Irish Steam trawler
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| Name | Leukos | ||
| Type: | Steam trawler | ||
| Tonnage | 216 tons | ||
| Completed | 1914 - John Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Aberdeen | ||
| Owner | Dublin Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Dublin | ||
| Homeport | Dublin | ||
| Date of attack | 9 Mar 1940 | Nationality:  Irish | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-38 (Heinrich Liebe) | ||
| Position | 55° 39'N, 8° 45'W - Grid AM 5290 | ||
| Complement | 11 (11 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Troon, Ayrshire (1 March) - fishing grounds in Donegal Bay - Dublin | ||
| Cargo | 21 tons of fish | ||
| History | Completed in August 1914 for National Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Aberdeen. In June 1915 requisitioned by the Admiralty as boom defence vessel. 1919 returned to owners and 1920 sold to Tucker, Tippet & Co Ltd, Aberdeen. 1929 sold to Dublin Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Dublin. | ||
| Notes on event | At 21.13 hours on 9 March 1940 the neutral Leukos (Master James Potter Thomasson) was attacked without warning by U-38 about 30 miles northwest off Tory Island. At 20.00 hours, the U-boat had spotted six trawlers all with their lights set near Tory Island and Liebe thought that they were forming a patrol line. He decided to give one of them a warning and fired one shot from its deckgun at the Leukos from a distance of 200 meters. The shot hit the trawler in the engine room and she dissappeared in a cloud of steam and smoke. The U-boat waited until the trawler sank after one hour and then continued the patrol. The Leukos was reported missing on 12 March, when the ship failed to arrive in Dublin. On 21 March, a lifeboat bearing the logo of the ship was washed ashore near Scarinish on Tiree off the west coast of Scotland. | ||
| On board | We have details of 11 people who were on board. | ||
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